When to floss, exfoliate and go for a checkup

By Jennie Miller
C & G Staff Writer

Someone once said that you don’t have to brush your teeth — just the ones you want to keep.

It may be sarcasm, but it’s not very funny to a dentist. They see the reality of this kind of inaction all too often.

“If only we could get people to brush and floss their teeth,” said Dr. John Steinberg, D.D.S., of St. Clair Shores. “It’s not rocket science. People need to take care of their teeth and come in and get regular cleanings.”

Not doing so could lead to gum disease, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes and even pancreatic cancer, Steinberg said.

“The average adult over 40 years of age has some form of periodontal disease,” echoed Dr. Joe Ruggirello, D.D.S., of Cambridge Dentistry & Braces in Macomb Township, and it’s mostly because they’re not doing what they’re supposed to be doing. “They should be brushing twice a day and flossing twice a day, and getting a cleaning on average about every six months.”

This personal care should begin in childhood, and the first dental appointment for a child should be at the age of 13 months, Ruggirello said.

In youth is also when proper eye care should begin, but it seldom does, unless a problem is detected in school, which sometimes can be too late.

“It’s important for parents to understand that it’s a good thing to bring your child in even if they’re not complaining,” said Dr. Robert Shick, O.D., of Family Eye Care Associates of Eastpointe, Clinton Township and Washington Township. “Don’t just rely on those school screenings. If your child is having learning issues, some of it could be vision-related.”

Many children suffer from amblyopia, which is commonly referred to as “lazy eye.”

“If parents would bring their children in early for eye exams, we would be able to catch that early,” Shick said. “There’s a national program called InfantSEE, where if a parent will bring in their child before the age of 1, when you can really catch a lot of these things, whether they’re insured or not, the exam is free. There’s a network of doctors who will do that for free.”

As adults, eyeglass or contact lens wearers should have yearly eye exams. And those who do wear contacts should listen and follow doctors’ instructions.

“There’s a reason why a doctor recommends a wearing schedule,” Shick said. “Many people wear them until they hurt, which is not good.”

And those who have had successful laser eye corrective surgery, or Lasik, are not necessarily in the clear.

“I would still recommend a yearly exam,” Shick said. “The inside of the eye … is the same as it ever was.”

For senior citizens, even those who have never had vision problems, it is important to have regular exams.

“All seniors need to have exams to check for macular degeneration, which is very prevalent,” Shick said. “There’s many things we can do to help maintain your sight, if we know about the problem. Many things can be slowed down, or even prevented, if it was caught early.”

This especially applies to diabetics.

“Probably the leading cause of blindness in the world is diabetes,” Shick said. “All diabetics need to have a yearly dilated eye exam.”

Caring for one’s skin should be taken just as seriously as the teeth or eyes, according to local skin-care specialists.

“Most people don’t wash their face at night before going to bed,” said Vicki Johnston, an esthetician at Edwin Paul Spa in Grosse Pointe Woods. “It is so important to wash, because all the day’s gunk is on their face, makeup, too.”

But a bar of soap just won’t do.

“A bar of soap leaves your skin with a film, a waxy residue that tends to clog your pores and cause more blackheads,” Johnston said, adding that different cleansers should be used for different skin types, and that in addition to washing, folks should exfoliate twice a week. “Your skin cells are always shedding. They keep accumulating on your skin, and it doesn’t let anything else penetrate.”

Another important skin-care tip is to always wear sunscreen when outdoors, and not just an SPF 4.

“It should be at least a 30,” Johnston said. “Sunscreen is very important … to prevent against skin cancer and the effects of aging.”

Johnston recommends that her clients come in for a facial every four weeks, or at least four times per year with the changing seasons, for a relaxing and invigorating experience that includes a deep cleanse, exfoliation and rehydration of the skin.